ARTE, the Association for European Television (Association relative à la télévision européenne), was established in 1991 and is based in Strasbourg. It is a Franco-German public broadcaster that primarily airs documentaries, feature films, and news programs.
Media assets
Television: ARTE
State Media Matrix Typology: Independent State-Managed/Owned (ISM)
Ownership and governance
ARTE Group is a company based in Strasbourg and consists of two units: ARTE France and ARTE Deutschland TV. ARTE France is majority-owned by France Télévisions, which holds a 45% stake. The remaining ownership is divided among the French state (25%), Radio France (15%), and INA (15%).
The main governing body of the ARTE group is the General Assembly, which consists of 12 members – six from each of its German and French units. They meet four times a year in Strasbourg. The assembly is responsible for making key decisions regarding the company’s strategy, approving the group’s business plan, and appointing the ARTE group’s management board, which oversees the company’s daily operations.
ARTE France is governed by the Supervisory Board, which comprises 12 members, including one representative from the French government, three staff representatives, and top managers from French private companies as well as CEOs of French public media. The General Assembly of Shareholders appoints all board members.
The Board is a collegiate body that decides major strategic and economic issues at ARTE. The Supervisory Board appoints members of ARTE France’s Executive Board, responsible for managing the company’s day-to-day operations.
Source of funding and budget
ARTE receives nearly 95% of its funding from a license fee, a tax paid by citizens to finance public media in France and Germany. The channel is prohibited by law from carrying advertising, but it can generate some income from commercial sources like sponsorship.
The funding allocated to ARTE France is determined by a four-year contract between the station and the French state. This contract covers the broadcaster’s program goals and resources. Additionally, the French Parliament approves ARTE’s detailed budget each year as part of the national budget vote.
ARTE comprises two corporate entities: ARTE France and ARTE Deutschland TV. Each entity publishes its own financial reports. In 2020, ARTE had a budget of €140.1m, according to the station’s annual report. In 2022, the company’s total budget increased to €148.9m, according to data from the group.
Editorial independence
There is no evidence of government control over ARTE’s content. The channel has gained an immense reputation as an independent broadcaster, producing groundbreaking television productions and partnerships with nine European public service channels.
ARTE has a content policy established by a program committee that meets monthly in Strasbourg to select programs for ARTE’s screening.
This committee consists of the station’s program director, three further representatives of ARTE in Strasbourg, and two representatives from the French and German units.
ARTE has multiple internal auditing mechanisms, with most of them focusing on the company’s financial management.
The broadcaster also has a program advisory committee that advises the Management Board and the General Assembly on programming issues. The members of this committee are all leading personalities from civil society and the arts. Eight of them come from Germany, and another eight from France.
As part of its whistleblowing policy, ARTE guarantees all its staff and collaborators the right to inform management about any problematic situations without fear of reprisal.
September 2024